Dental implants have become the preferred modern alternative for replacing missing natural teeth. Typically, an implant abutment is secured into the underlying bone tissue terminating within the surrounding gum tissue. Eventually, a dental restoration is secured to the implant. The restoration must be designed to match the surrounding teeth in color, size, shape and orientation so that it looks and functions much as the predecessor natural tooth it replaces. However, because of potential variability in the precise position (angulation and vertical position) and locking orientation of the implant, the design of the restoration is also subject to substantial variability.
Conventionally, the restoration is designed by a laboratory using a physical replication of the dental anatomy. This physical replication is obtained by affixing an impression coping, locked to the underlying implant or abutment and extending above the gum line among the surrounding dental structure. Then the area is replicated using dental laboratory techniques and a model is produced. The laboratory then uses this model to design and fabricate the prosthetic restoration. Unfortunately, these various steps are time consuming, costly and potentially error prone.